Tag Archives: Best Practices

Recently I had an executive from a small nonprofit in Kansas ask me how to improve organizational sustainability in the New Year. There have been a lot of predictions regarding how the new tax legislation will impact nonprofit organizations. Some predict that it will be even more difficult to effectively raise money in the new financial …Read More →

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As I spoke to colleagues in preparation for this article, similar versions of the same question came up a couple of times. “Why are you writing about cannabis, you don’t know anything about it?” It is true – I do not use cannabis and so my knowledge about the specific product is limited to what …Read More →

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If you have been raising money for any length of time, surely by now you will have been told ‘no.’ Sometimes a ‘no’ can be a major setback, especially if there is no Plan B in place. Was it something I said? Was it something I didn’t say? What will happen to the project? How …Read More →

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Have you ever been trying to reach a donor and left a LOT of messages? I don’t mean “all in the same day,” that could be construed as stalking and no one wants that. I am referring to calling the same donor/prospect over and over without getting a return call. Perhaps you might call twice …Read More →

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As the number of nonprofit organizations in the US continues to rise, so does the need to raise money for those organizations. From large, multi-national organizations to small local organizations, money is a critical need to ensure that programs get delivered and all regulatory and reporting requirements are met. So, as a board member, committee …Read More →

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Have you ever had a donor get mad at you and/or your organization? I have and I can tell you that it is not fun. I do not like conflict or “drama” and so I don’t like having to deal with these situations. I have learned throughout the years, however, that it is always better …Read More →

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http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2015/02/19/how-elderly-heiress-lost-her-300-million-fortune/ I read this story about Huguette Clark, the copper heiress and philanthropist, last month on Fox Business and it really struck a chord with me. There are a variety of “issues” in the piece, but the part that I want to discuss today are the concepts of communication and donor intent. As small nonprofit …Read More →

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Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) are growing in popularity here in the United States and they are a great way to accomplish philanthropic goals. Many people are using DAFs for a few key reasons. One reason is that they are relatively simple to set up. Working with a community foundation, such as The Community Foundation Serving Greeley …Read More →

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Unless you have been under a rock for the past several weeks you have undoubtedly heard about the Ice Bucket Challenge. According to Forbes, the ALS Association raised $100M from the successful online campaign. This is great for the ALS Association, but those of us who work for small organizations have few options to raise …Read More →

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I was meeting with a colleague last week when the topic of that Comcast Retention Agent viral phone call came up. Surely you have heard it by now, if not you can go here: https://t.co/5TRpDmWQBU. After you listen to it you will assume that it was a hoax but I guarantee you it was real. …Read More →